Monthly Archives: October 2016

Self-driving robot cars will be coming soon to the streets of American cities. Exactly when is uncertain. But Sacramento city transportation officials are taking steps now to be ready when the revolution rolls in.

Sacramento will be among 16 select cites meeting next month to discuss ways to harness new technologies, including autonomous vehicles, as part of a new national study effort called the Smart Cities Collaborative.

“We definitely see the future of autonomous vehicles and want to wrap our arms around it and make sure it is safe and equitable for the city of Sacramento,” city planner Fedolia Harris said. “We want to Read the full article…

A self-driving truck loaded with 50,000 cans of Budweiser beer has made its first delivery without a driver behind the wheel.

Uber teamed up with Anheuser-Busch InBev for the delivery, which the companies say is the first-ever commercial shipment made by a driverless truck, according to Bloomberg News.

The tractor-trailer drove 120 miles down a preprogrammed route on Colorado’s I-25 highway with a police vehicle traveling behind it. The truck’s human driver remained in the sleeper cab during the journey.

Uber acquired Otto, an autonomous trucking company, this summer as part of the ride-hailing firm’s aggressive push to expand its business.

By 2021, major automakers—as well as tech companies like Google, Baidu, and Apple—are likely to unveil some form of autonomous driving capability. In Pittsburgh, Uber is now offering the public a chance to hail a ride in their self-driving fleet. And as we see more driverless cars on the road, the burden of driving will shift away from human drivers and onto the machine. The issue of liability is going to play an important role in the advance of driverless vehicles—especially how fast and how widely the movement takes shape.

When it comes to safety, the move towards fully-autonomous technology is a positive development. A report Read the full article…